


best pilot of the resistance

by poseidon



Series: best pilot [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: At least that was my intent, Character Study, Gen, Missing Scene, Multi, Post-Movie, Pre-OT3, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-18
Updated: 2016-03-10
Packaged: 2018-05-07 12:15:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5456213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poseidon/pseuds/poseidon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Poe Dameron wakes up with a huge headache and no kriffing idea where he is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Because my biggest question throughout most of the movie was, "Where did Oscar Isaac go??"  
>  ~~really hope he doesn't turn out to be evil~~

Poe Dameron wakes up with a huge headache and no kriffing idea where he is.

It's dark and cold, ridiculously cold, like only a desert planet could be - confirmed by the sand that's seeping into his clothes - and he wonders why he's there when it all suddenly comes back: the map, the First Order killing everyone in the village, the torture (he glosses over that bit, no point in thinking about it too deeply), his rescue, Finn, then getting hit and -

_Finn._

Poe sits up quickly and looks around, but even through the pale moonlight, he can see nothing. Not his ship, not his jacket, not Finn. He was a brave kid to have gone against the First Order like that, all on his own, after years and years of being trained as a Stormtrooper. Giving up everything he’d been taught just like that to help a Resistance pilot – that was commendable.

 _I won_ _’t forget you,_ he thinks to himself, and slowly gets up.

It’s a long walk to, well, whatever civilization that’s here on Jakku.

* * *

He remembers the first time he saw Han Solo.

He was young, very young, and his father let him tag along on one of his missions – _It_ _’s nothing serious, he_ _’s not even going to leave the base_ , he’d told Poe’s mother, who had vehemently disapproved of the whole thing, until Dad added, _We_ _’ve got to show him we_ _’re not leaving him for nothing_ – and Poe had wandered off to explore.

He doesn’t remember much about getting lost, except running into a giant hairy leg (Chewbacca’s), being held by strong, secure arms (also Chewbacca’s), and someone smirking at him (not Chewbacca – Han Solo).

He’d said something to Poe, and while he couldn’t remember what, he did remember it was the best moment of his life for years to come.

Hell, it still is.

* * *

He doesn’t know how long he’s been walking when he sees the TIE fighters come in, and he’s looking for a place he can hide when the unthinkable happens.

He spots _the Millennium Falcon_ flying away.

 _The_ Millennium Falcon.The actual ship, not the model he’d bought at a tiny store in Coruscant for a ridiculous amount of credits (but it was worth every one). The one he’d seen once and heard rumors of ever since he joined the Resistance, legends passed down by those who’d fought against the Galactic Empire in its final years.

It’s actually _here_ , on this forsaken desert _rock_.

Which means that Han Solo is here.

He breaks into a run, sliding down the sand dunes and into the junk settlement, already in chaos. People push past him, trying to escape the wreckage, and it doesn’t take him long to find a ship.

It’s almost in pieces and precariously close to the burning settlement, but he’s flown worse. Probably. Hopefully.

He’s starting the ship and sees the _Falcon_ ahead, fighters on its tail, and he’s just about ready to get in the air when he stops.

 _What is he doing_? He’s supposed to be looking for BB-8, trying to get to him before the First Order does (if they haven’t already), and not chasing after Han Solo in the _Millennium Falcon_. Even if it would be his dream come true.

He shakes his head and climbs out of the ship, find the nearest fleeing local and asks, politely, “Have you seen a BB unit with a white-and-orange body?”

The local gives him a look, scoffing. If it were anyone else, they might’ve been punched or ignored after asking such a question – or any question, for that matter – but he’s Poe Dameron, so the local responds, “Last I saw, some girl flew out of here with that thing. You don’t wanna go looking for it – First Order’s got its eyes on that thing.”

 _Well, that cleared things up nicely,_ Poe thinks, and he thanks the local and lets him get back to fleeing as he walks back to the ship. If BB-8 was travelling with someone, and they were being chased by the First Order, then obviously that person was trustworthy and he should have nothing to worry about.

He climbs back into the cockpit and, kriff, the _Falcon_ is long gone. He licks his lips with a sigh and hopes the ship has a functioning form of hyperdrive.

It doesn’t, but Resistance fighters spot him and take him aboard their ship. Just in time, too – dehydration was starting to catch up with him too.

* * *

He doesn’t remember meeting Luke Skywalker, but he does remember his gift – the twig of a Force-Sensitive tree. He remembers as the years went on and the tree slowly grew, and slowly began to flourish.

He remembers acting out the Battle of Endor with his friends, and how it was undisputed as to who got to be Han Solo.

* * *

Poe doesn’t know which is better – seeing BB-8 intact or seeing Finn alive (and wearing his jacket!).

They hug, tightly, because that’s what you do when you’ve formed a bond with someone after surviving life-threatening situations together, and they pull apart much too soon to Poe’s liking.

Finn asks if he wants the jacket back and Poe shakes his head.

It looks better on him, anyway.

* * *

Han Solo died in battle, and he watches from afar as General Organa mourns him.

He doesn’t know what he could say to her, to make any of it okay, because it’s far from okay. It is definitely not okay.

He sits beside her in companionable silence. Eventually, she turns to him with a sad smile and says, "He would've liked you."

* * *

He meets Rey as she leaves Finn’s side, and he’s too enamored by her and the fact that he’s meeting _his very first Jedi ever (!!!)_ to pay too close attention to the fact that she’d been awfully close to Finn's face.

She walks up to him first and says, “You’re Poe Dameron, right? BB-8 told me all about you.”

Poe’s lips quirk as he responds, “And Finn told me all about you, Rey. You two seem… close.”

She looks away at that, and he thinks he can see the faintest blush on her cheeks. “We’ve – we’ve been through a lot together.” She takes a moment to look back at his sleeping body before turning to Poe again. “Take care of him while I’m gone.”

“Of course I will – he saved my life,” Poe assures her. “And you – make sure you take care of yourself. He’d want that.”

She nods and walks away, and BB-8 quickly follows her. He was right - BB-8 likes her because she's good.

He hesitates a moment before calling out to her. "Rey!"

She turns, brow arched.

"You know that's the _Millennium Falcon_ you're piloting, right? Be sure to treat her right. She's been through a lot."

Rey looks at him for a moment before breaking into a smile. "Little too late for that. Finn and I already gave it an go against TIE fighters on Jakku." She laughs at his gaping expression and adds, "Ask him about it."

"I - I will," he says as he watches her go.  Scratch what he said earlier - he was dead wrong. She's not good. She's _extraordinary_.

* * *

Poe’s not there when Finn wakes up, but he’s one of his first visitors afterward, and he rubs his shoulder and says, "So when were you going to tell me about the _Falcon_?"

Finn lets out a chuckle, back still sore and carefully propped up against a couple of pillows, and starts talking.

Poe hangs on to every word. And if his hand casually drifts and places itself on Finn's knee, well, neither of them say anything about it.


	2. Chapter 2

Finn doesn't finish his story. He barely gets partway when medical personnel come in from nowhere and start pulling Poe out so they can treat Finn.

Poe straightens his new jacket and grins over at Finn. "I'll come by tomorrow?" It's not really a question but it's polite to ask and Poe Dameron is nothing if not polite (and charming and charismatic and a damn good pilot and - well, he could go on).

Finn nods. "Yeah, I'd like that."

Poe doesn't stop grinning until he gets back to his bunk. Jess and Nien Nunb give him odd looks but he doesn't care, grinning even wider as he climbs into bed.

"Look at you," Jess chirps. " _Someone_ got lucky, did they?"

"You could say that," Poe says, and he gives her a wink.

* * *

The adrenaline rush from destroying Starkiller Base is gone, and Poe is plagued by unexpected nightmares of darkness pulling at his mind, trying to pluck out his thoughts, forcing him to betray his friends.

In the dream he does, and Han Solo is sliced in half in front of him.

Poe wakes up in a cold sweat and stays up for the rest of the night, falling into a restless sleep when the sun peaks in through the small window.

* * *

For most pilots, the cure to everything is a good mission - as long as they get to fly. Poe isn't most pilots, but he assumes the same cure could be applied to his nightmares and goes to see Statura about a mission.

"You're grounded," Statura tells him.

" _What_?" Poe says, because that's the most polite thing he can think of.

"You heard me," Statura says. He looks up from his files and gives Poe a hard look. "We're not sending fighters out until we can get new ones trained. Understood?"

He does, but that's not the problem. He  _needs_ to go back into space and fight and be useful so he doesn't have to think about anything else.

"I understand," he says.

* * *

Finn, thankfully, is healing nicely and doesn't mind Poe spending most of his time around him.

"I told you all about me," Finn says. "What about you?"

So Poe tells him about his parents, how they fought for the Rebel Alliance under General Solo and Princess Organa, his childhood on Yavin 4 and the Force-Sensitive tree ( _It's beautiful, Finn, one day I'll take you to see it_ ), how he joined the Resistance and met General Organa, and how it all led to meeting Finn.

Finn listens as intently as Poe did for him, laughing at all the right parts and asking more questions, and it helps Poe sleep a little easier, knowing there's someone looking forward to talking to him each day.

* * *

Finn gets taken out of Medical and moved to a proper room close to Poe’s.

"You get a whole room to yourself," Poe says when they first go in. "Perks of being the Hero of the Resistance and all."

Finn is silent for a moment as he looks around. "I, uh, never had a room of my own. This is really my first time."

"Oh," Poe says. "Hang on, wait here." He quickly hurries back to his bunk and comes back, holding the small model of the  _Millennium Falcon._

"Here," he hands it to Finn. "So you can start decorating."

Finn doesn't say anything, and Poe fears he may have overstepped his boundaries because Finn's probably never even gotten a  _present_ before, when he smiles at Poe and carefully takes the  _Falcon_ out of his hands.

"Thank you," he says. "Are you sure you don't need it?"

"I've got plenty of stuff," Poe waves his hand dismissively. "Plus you actually got to  _fly_ the real thing!"

Finn lets out a laugh and Poe grins at him.

* * *

"Your  _Falcon_ is missing," Jess points out as Poe lounges in bed after dinner.

"Yeah, I gave it to Finn," he says. He looks at her and raises a brow at her surprised expression. "What?"

"You gave your prized model of the  _Millennium Falcon_ to him?" she asks.

"I just said that. Why are you looking like that?"

She rolls her eyes and mumbles something under her breath as she climbs into her bunk.

Poe is too preoccupied with trying to figure out what she might have meant that when he falls asleep, he forgets to have nightmares.

* * *

When he's sitting in Finn's room and he sees the  _Falcon_ perched on the shelf near the bed, he feels a strong sense of unbridled joy.

That's when he realizes what Jess meant.

BB-8 whirs at him, as though it'd known all along.

* * *

Rey and Chewbacca send a final transmission before they're too far away to message and Finn looks unbelievably happy. Poe can't bring himself to be upset about it because he's also excited to see Rey again.

He sees her face light up when Finn walks into the com-rom, and everyone leaves so the two of them can have a moment of privacy.

Poe is just about ready to head back to his bunk when Finn comes out and says, "She wants to talk to you."

Poe blinks, confused, but he doesn't question it and heads inside.

Rey's face peers at him from the screen, before softening. "He said you gave him a model of the  _Millennium Falcon_."

"I did," Poe says. "It's a good model. Too good. The guns turn, unlike the real one."

Rey lets out a laugh. "That was all Finn's fault, didn't he tell you?"

"He did - he also said you were a spectacular pilot," he smiles.

"He said you were the best pilot in the Resistance," she responds. "He talks about you a lot."

"He does the same with you."

There's a small, awkward pause, when Poe clears his throat. "I'm still taking care of him."

"Good," Rey nods. "I guess... We can figure this out when I come back."

"Yeah," Poe chuckles. "In between bringing balance to the Force and destroying the First Order, the three of us will figure ourselves out."

Rey rolls her eyes but he can see the smirk tugging on her lips.

* * *

"Do you think she can bring back Luke Skywalker?" Finn asks.

"Yes," Poe says without a moment's hesitation. "She's impressive. Might be more so than me."

Finn scoffs. "That's not true. You two are just... on different levels."

"Different levels," Poe repeats.

"Yeah," Finn says. "You two are impressive in your own rights. Can't compare the two. That's like..."

"Comparing starblossom and meiloorun?" Poe asks.

Finn laughs and Poe smiles, a tight feeling in his chest.

"Yeah, exactly," Finn says. "If anyone isn't impressive, it's... It's me."

Poe frowns. "What? Why would you say that? You're one of the most impressive people I know."

Finn looks at him, a little unsure. "Well, I mean, I was born and bred to be a Stormtrooper and -”

"And you decided to do the right thing anyway," Poe interrupts. He turns to Finn, stepping closer. "You flew in the  _Falcon_ , you wielded a lightsaber, you helped bring down a kriffing planet-destroying weapon!"

He's standing close enough to Finn that he can feel his breath exhaling slowly, eyes widening, as though he never really thought he was worth anything.

"You're  _amazing_ ," Poe says, and he kisses him.

It's short, too short, but it's  _good_ \- no, more than that - and they slowly pull apart. Poe’s hands are cupping Finn's jaw and Finn looks like he could faint at any moment.

"Don't sell yourself short, Finn," Poe says quietly. "And if you do, Rey and I will come and kick the kriff out of you."

"You two..." Finn trails off and makes a weird gesture.

"We talked," Poe explains. "Turns out, we have a lot in common. Namely, you."

Finn's smile could light up the galaxy, Poe thinks, and he grins back at him.

Rey was right - they'd figure it out and make it work.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~why do i keep adding chapters when i think i'm done writing~~

Finn and Poe kiss. A lot.

It's still the early days of their new relationship or whatever, and it's been absolutely  _lovely_ , in Poe’s opinion. He walks around the base, holding Finn's hand and chatting with the other fighter pilots with the sole purpose of informing them of his relationship status.

BB-8 thinks he's showing off.

Poe chuckles and says, "Buddy, if you were human and could make out with the most amazing man in the galaxy, you'd be showing him off too." He pats the droid's head and slides back under his fighter. "Now, pass me the wrench, will ya?"

* * *

He's with Finn, lying in bed and lazily kissing when BB-8 runs in and beeps loudly.

"What're they saying?" Finn asks, as Poe groans and sits up.

"Kriff, they say I have a mission."

"And that's a bad thing? You've wanted to go on one ever since I got better," Finn says. He sits up to pull on his jacket - another one of Finn's, after he gave the last one to Rey. "Why are you all of a sudden _against_ going on a mission?"

"Well, if I go, then I won't get to spend time with you," Poe smirks. He leans over to kiss his cheek as Finn rolls his eyes.

"You're ridiculous," he says with a smile. "Anyway, it was good timing. General Organa wants me to go over a few of the First Order’s typical tactics."

"Great," Poe says as he stands up. "I probably won't be long. It's just a boring recon run - we'll be over and done before you even know it."

* * *

The "boring recon run" turns into a fully-fledged battle against the First Order, and it takes significantly longer than Poe had expected.

"Keep an eye out for those canons!" Poe shouts, swerving his ship around the Star Destroyer as he shoots at the oncoming TIE fighters. "Do we have any ideas about its weak points?"

"Negative, Black Leader," Jess' voice buzzes in his ear. "Should we retreat?"

 _Yes, we should_ , he thinks, and he's just about to give the order when there's a sudden crash and his fighter makes a horrible noise and he feels it falling, down to the planet below.

Someone is saying something in his ear but he can't make it out before falling unconscious.

* * *

It is freezing cold when he wakes up. Snow is blowing against his face and he thinks it'll bite off the end of his nose if he doesn't find his helmet soon.

 _Snowstorm_ , he thinks, as the wind howls in his ears before it mutes as the helmet covers his ears.

He stands up and looks around for BB-8, hoping it's not in the fiery part of the wreckage when he spots it a few feet away, partially buried in the snow. The droid beeps when it sees him and quickly rushes over as Poe makes his way to huddle around the burning remains of his ship.

There's a story he remembers about a snowstorm on a snowy planet, and it takes a few moments for the details to come: the planet Hoth, where the Rebel Alliance was hiding out when the Empire was looking for them after the destruction of the first Death Star. Luke Skywalker went out on a recon mission and got himself captured by some native creature, and Han Solo came to his rescue.

Poe smiles at the story, and then thinks that if this is the planet Hoth, then he's very screwed if some crazy alien came and tried to kill him.

* * *

There are two options for when your ship has crashed on an unknown planet: a, you stay by your ship's wreckage and wait for someone to rescue you; and b, you go and find civilization.

Poe knows that his squadron probably fled after the ambush and that they'll most likely return when the First Order was done, so he grabbed his blaster from the ship and he and BB-8 began their long trek to find  _something_ on this planet.

And some things are exactly what they find.

Dozens of parts from destroyed AT-AT walkers scattered about, with some half-buried Rebel X-Wing fighters that Poe would be eager to go and examine if it weren't  _so kriffing cold_.

He's pretty convinced that this is Hoth, and that there probably isn't much of any civilization here, so what he's hoping to see is some sort of shelter.

"BB-8, could you go ahead and see what you can?" he asks, and BB-8 beeps happily and rushes forward.

Poe really hopes they find something. He doesn't want to die here, alone. Especially not when he has Finn waiting for him.

* * *

Poe thinks he might cry when he sees the distant pillars of an old base, and he runs the rest of the way, searching for the entrance.

BB-8 is the one who electrically shocks the hangar doors a few times before they slowly creak open, ice cracking and metal groaning as the two of them slip inside and look around.

It's dark - BB-8 is looking for a way to turn on the lights - but it looks remarkably similar to what their current base does, and he chuckles softly as he realizes where he is.

 _This is a kriffing historical site_ , he thinks, looking around and beaming widely when the lights turn on. This was where Luke Skywalker and Han Solo and Princess Organa and all the other heroes of the Rebel Alliance once stood, planning their escape from the Empire. If the stories are true, then even  _Darth kriffing Vader_ was here and he tried to capture the  _Falcon_ just as it slid out and into space - until the hyperdrive broke.

"Hey, BB-8, do you know how  _amazing_ this is?" Poe asks.

BB-8 beeps and tells him that he found the old communications systems and maybe instead of indulging in his awestruck and enamored side, he should probably find a way to get in contact with the Resistance.

"There's a reason you're the smart one," Poe says. "I'm the cute one, though." BB-8 beeps again and Poe lets out a laugh.

* * *

The Resistance ships come in quickly - which is lucky, considering how hungry Poe is and how seriously he was considering eating BB-8 (he wouldn't) - but instead of a rescue ship, it's a couple of dozen ships and soon he finds the General walking up to him.

"Well, Dameron, I see you've found something I've lost," she says.

"Ma'am, I don't think your style in designing a base has changed at _all_ in the last thirty years," he smirks widely.

General Organa gives him a fond smile. "Functionality is timeless, Dameron. Remember that." She steps away and it's barely two seconds later when Finn is rushing over and hugging Poe as tightly as he can.

Poe laughs softly and wraps his arms around him. "Hey, nice to see you too, buddy," he smiles as they pull apart.

"You said it would be a simple recon and you'd be back soon," Finn huffs. "Do you know how long it's been? Do you know how  _worried_ I was?"

Poe takes his hands and gives them a squeeze. "I can't predict an ambush, Finn. That's the whole point of an ambush."

Finn's features soften slightly, though they're still filled with concern. "I know, I was just..."

"Worried, yeah," Poe says. He kisses him softly, smiling as he pulls apart. "But now that you're here, do you want to see Han Solo's old room here? It's  _amazing._ "

Finn rolls his eyes and says, "Fine, show me," and grins as Poe pulls him along.

He's  _definitely_ taking home some souvenirs from this trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if this is going to be the last addition to this 'verse or not - i might just make a sequel instead of adding on chapters to a completed story


	4. Chapter 4

"Okay, so put your hand on my waist," Poe says.

Finn blinks. "Your what?"

"My waist. Here." Poe takes his hand and places it where it's supposed to go.

When General Organa finally (finally) agreed to have an official ceremony for Rey and Finn for their services on Starkiller Base, Poe went on and on to his boyfriend about how excited he was.

"We need reasons to celebrate," he'd said. "And this is one of those reasons - you and Rey were kriffing amazing down there."

Finn flushed slightly and said, "You did great in the fighters too."

"Only because you guys helped out from the ground," Poe reminded him and kissed his cheek. "Anyway, it'll be great. There'll be great food, some singing and dancing, and -”

"Some what?" Finn asked.

"Singing and dancing," Poe repeated, before it hit him. Finn probably never had a celebration like they did outside the First Order. No birthday parties, weddings, or other fun little gatherings where everyone got together to have a nice time.

And no dancing. So Poe left BB-8 in his room, leaving it instructions to only follow if something important happens, and he and Finn headed to Finn's room to dance.

They probably shouldn't be practicing right now for an event that won't take place until Rey returns with Luke Skywalker, especially since the Resistance is prepping for evacuation and setup in a new system, but Finn has been... out of sorts the last few days, as though he doesn't belong. There's so much he hasn't been exposed to, Poe knows, though it slips his mind from time to time. It's not just simple parties: it's having the freedom to do what he wants to, even if it is just sitting around and doing nothing, because he doesn't have to be useful all the time.

Sometimes Poe finds Finn sitting alone with BB-8, looking out into the distance with a quiet, thoughtful expression. Poe doesn't ask what he's thinking about but he holds him a little closer when Finn comes by to see him.

This is as much of a distraction for Poe as it is for Finn.

"I keep stepping on your foot," Finn remarks, shaking his head.

"It's fine," Poe says. "Really, the first time I did this dance, my mom complained I was going to break her feet."

Finn lets out a small chuckle. "Really? I can't imagine that now - you dance so well."

"Trust me, I've had a lot of practice once my mom retired."

Finn nods. He squeezes Poe's waist as his feet nearly trip over each other and says, "You, uh, never really talk about your parents after they fought for the Alliance."

"There's not much to tell," Poe shrugs. "My mother died a while back. She supported me a lot when I sort of followed in her footsteps and joined the New Republic, before I came to the Resistance. Dad wasn't too pleased with my decision, but he finally came around. He still lives on Yavin 4, tending after the tree."

"Oh," Finn says. He looks a little awkward and Poe raises a brow.

"What's wrong?" Poe asks, before realizing he's forgotten, once again, about how much Finn never had.

"Your mom," Finn says. "I... I'm sorry she died."

"It was a while ago, but thank you," Poe smiles sincerely.

Finn gives a hesitant smile back. "Right, well, we should get back to practicing, right?"

Poe nods and squeezes Finn's hand. They move around together in silence for a few moments when Finn speaks again. "I wonder if Rey knows how to dance."

"From what I saw, there didn't seem to be any clubs down on Jakku, but you never know," Poe jokes.

Finn lets out a laugh, before his eyes suddenly sparkle with an idea. "We should go visit her. She's probably been training non-stop since she got to Skywalker. We should surprise her."

"And we can probably fix their communications satellite so they can contact us," Poe adds, starting to grin as well. "This actually sounds like a good idea. Might be a tough time trying to convince the General, though."

"I'm sure I can manage it," Finn says confidently.

* * *

He does manage it - Organa barely bats an eye and gives them a decent ship. "Just... see how Luke is doing," she tells Poe while Finn is getting ready to leave. "He and Han - the three of us..." she trails off and shakes her head, a shadow of a smile on her lips.”He'd like to see the three of you together."

Poe knows not to press further, nodding as she squeezes his shoulder and walks away.

"Ready to go?" Finn asks. He frowns a little when he sees Poe's distant, distracted face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Poe says. He kisses Finn on the cheek. "Come on, I can't wait to see how much stronger Rey's gotten." Finn smiles at him and he smiles back, pushing the conversation out of his mind as they head to the ship.

Jess catches them before they take off, hugging Finn and rubbing his head. "Get me some cool souvenir from Skywalker - or Rey. She's  _really_  cute." Finn blushes and nods in agreement as she nudges his side and turns to Poe. "And you..." she smiles and punches the side of his shoulder.”Just try not to mess up setting the satellite, okay?"

Poe rolls his eyes with a laugh and pulls her in for a quick hug.

"You have a lot of nice friends," Finn says, helping Poe power on the ship.

"They're your friends too," Poe says.

Finn doesn't respond, seemingly busy with preparations, but BB-8 says that he's smiling and Poe thinks that's good enough.

* * *

They land near the Falcon, looking around to see if anyone is nearby before reluctantly looking over at the set of stairs winding up the mountain.

"We're going to have to go up on that, aren't we?" Finn asks.

"Yup."

"And we're probably going to have to carry BB-8?"

"Probably."

Finn sighs and bends down, arms wide and circling BB-8. "All right, buddy, up we go." He grunts and carefully lifts up the droid, letting out a groan. "Man, what did you have for breakfast? A fighter?"

BB-8 lets out a whir. "They say they don't eat breakfast and you should probably start exercising more," Poe translates with a chuckle.

"I don't need to take workout advice from you two," Finn huffs and Poe laughs again, walking beside him to support BB-8 from their base and the three of them make their way up.

They reach the fourth landing and Poe thinks Finn's legs are about to give out when a familiar face comes running down the steps above, a wide grin on her face.

"Rey!" Finn carefully sets BB-8 down and rushes over, pulling her into a tight embrace. "You've changed clothes - and you've changed your  _hair_!" He runs his fingers through the ends, tugging gently at the small braid in disbelief as she lets out a light and airy laugh.

"You've got a new jacket," she replies and bends down to greet BB-8, who beeps happily at her.

Poe lets the three of them have a moment, watching the way Finn looks at Rey and how she looks back, when Rey turns and spots him, gesturing for him to come over.

"Poe Dameron," she greets, still smiling.

"Call me Poe," he says. "It's nice to see you again, Rey."

"You as well."

They stand together for a moment, all four of them, in a comfortable silence when someone clears their throat from behind them and says, "It's nice to finally meet the people Rey's talked about."

Poe whips his head around and tries not to gape as Luke Skywalker holds his hand out. "It's an honor to meet both of you, Finn and Poe."

* * *

Poe starts working on the satellite while Skywalker talks with Finn about his time with Han Solo and fighting Kylo Ren. It's not like Poe has much to contribute to that conversation and it's great that Finn gets to meet someone so amazing who recognizes him for his abilities because Finn is just so -

"Amazing?" Rey finishes, sneaking up from behind him.

Poe nearly jumps and she can't resist a smile. "You think very loudly," she explains. "I could probably teach you how to quiet it up a little."

He thinks of Ren and how easy it had been for him to reach inside the recesses of his mind and pull out all the information he needed. He resists a shudder. "Yeah, that would be helpful. Pass me the pilot's wrench?"

She nods and hands it to him. "Where's Chewbacca?"

"Working inside Skywalker's ship. It's newer and has more power. We'll probably be able to contact the Resistance by tonight."

"That's good," she says. She sits down beside him, watching him work. "How has Finn been?"

"He's been great," Poe smiles. "Helps us crack some of the transmissions from the First Order, gives us their common strategies. He's a hit with all the pilots, too. Everyone loves him."

"That's good," Rey nods again. "He... deserves all the love he can get."

"He does." He licks his lips hesitantly. "You should... talk to him, you know? Alone. In private. Just the two of you."

Rey blinks and Poe is reminded of how it takes Finn a few seconds to understand some of the "subtle" hints he sometimes drops in conversations. Her face fills with understanding and she asks, "Are you sure you don't want to be a part of that conversation?"

Poe shakes his head. "No, this is between the two of you. All I'd want is for you two to just... include me in after, all right?" He shoots her a charming smile and she hesitates a moment before smiling back.

* * *

He can't sleep. The three of them had been talking for hours, catching up on the events of the Resistance and Rey's training, and Finn and Rey both fell asleep on the floor, side by side, with her head resting on his shoulder.

The two of them spent a few moments together before dinner and returned holding hands so Poe assumes it went well and he's happy for them, he really is, but something is nagging at him in the back of his head and he can't sleep.

He's staring up at the stars when Organa's words come back to him and it hits him - he's afraid. He's afraid that there won't be a happy ending for the three of them. Han Solo, Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker - the three of them had been inseparable (and maybe more than a little in love) and yet their story went on like this, with one dead, one in self-imposed exile, and one going back to the life they once had, leading people in a rebellion.

Rey's already been separated from them, first when she was kidnapped and again, now, for her training. Finn was gone for so long while he was recovering from his fight with Ren. They've already went through a couple of hard trials and tribulations - who's to say what's going to happen next?

"We just got here," Poe says quietly to himself. "You should relax. It's going to be okay."

He doesn't really believe it.

He doesn't know how long he's been out looking up at the stars when Skywalker takes a seat beside him. "Lots of stars out tonight."

"Yeah," Poe says. "Organa - you sister - sends her regards. We can probably talk to her tomorrow."

Skywalker smiles and it seems weary and out of practice, but genuine. "I haven't seen her in so long."

"I don't think she's changed much," Poe says. "I went to Hoth recently - the Rebel base there was almost exactly like the base we have."

"Leia was always very practical," Skywalker chuckles. "Han was the one who went in without thinking and she stood back and stopped him from getting himself hurt."

"They made a good team," Poe says. "All three of you did... I'm - I'm sorry for your loss.

Skywalker inclines his head and doesn't respond, staring up into space. When he speaks, his voice is soft and it reminds Poe strongly of his sister. "You love him?"

"I do."

Skywalker nods again. "Good. And you think she loves him as much as you do?"

"If not more." Because if he knows anything about Rey, it's that her kindness, affection,  _love_  - it runs deep. If it hadn't, she wouldn't have cared for BB-8, she wouldn't have tried getting them to the base, she wouldn't have helped the Resistance, and she wouldn't have waited as long as she could before leaving Finn. Because she loves him.

"Good." Skywalker's smile is a little wider now, more secure, and he slowly rises to his feet. "Then the three of you will be fine, don't worry. I'll see you in the morning." He squeezes his shoulder briefly and walks away.

Poe finds himself breathing much easier and is about to get up and head to bed when he hears someone call out his name.

"Poe, what're you doing out here?" Finn asks. He rubs the sleep from his eyes and lets out a yawn. "Come on, it's the middle of the night."

"I'm coming," Poe says, walking over and pressing a kiss to his lips. They lace their fingers together and walk back to where Rey is resting, curled quietly into herself.

Poe, exhausted, takes his place on the opposite side of the bed and spreads his arms, watching as Finn carefully slides in between the two of them, as though he fit there all along.

He probably does, Poe thinks, and closes his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm almost 100% certain that this is the actual end.
> 
> Thank you for reading, and hit me up on [tumblr](http://poeorgana.tumblr.com/) if you want.


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